Dredging device.



J. R. VOORHEES.

DREDGING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. e. 1913'.

1,095,303, .Ptented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1.'

an U/ COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Co., wASHxNuToN. D.

J. R. VOORHBES.

DREDGING DEVICE. 'APPLIoATIoN FILED MAR. e, 1913.

Patented May 5, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuAxmA PLANOGRAPH C0,l WASHINGTON. D, c.

JOHN R. VOORHEES, OF CEDAR FALLS, IOWA.

. DREDGING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application led March 6, 1913. Serial No. 752,377.

To all f/.czont t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN It. Voorn-inns, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cedar Falls, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dredging devices, and the object of my improvement is to supply convenient means for dumping the contents of a dredge' scraper bucket where desired, the bucket and its mountings being suitably modiied to perfect it for this purpose. This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved dredging mechanism in operation,

the dotted lines indicating the loading position of the bucket, and the full lines showing the dumping position of the same. Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of the movable tripping-means for the bucket. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the scraper-bucket alone. Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of the bucket and its mountings, taken in loading and dumping positions.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The scraper bucket 1 of my device is of the usual form, open at its cutting or receiving edge and closed at the back and sides by upright walls, preferably integrally formed of metal with the bottom. The bucket is provided with a bail 2 made up of two bars secured to the sides of the bucket, then bent convergently and united at the top, with a ring 3 movably connected to the bail at the top. Rings 4 are movably connected to the vertical cutting edges of the scope on each side. On the closed end of the bucket are located brackets 5 near each corner angle, and brackets 6 near the middle of the back, the latter spaced apart to enable the end of a chain hanger 12 to be connected to a bar 7. The numeral 7 denotes a bar seated in alined orifices in said brackets 5 and 6 to have its ends projecting beyond the sides of the bucket. On the projecting ends of this bar rollers 40 are mounted.

The numeral 28 denotes a post fixed to one side of an excavation, while the numeral 26 denotes a mast fixed on the opposite side of the excavation. A sheave-block 24 is hung from the top of the mast as is also another sheave-block 23', and a carrying-cable 16 has one end secured to said post 28 with its other end secured to a movable sheave-block 25. One end of a pull-cable 22 is secured to said sheave-block 25, and then is carried about the blocks 24 and 23 to be connected to and wound about a winding-drum 35. The numeral 14 denotes the frame of a carriage supported by traveler wheels 15 on the said cable 16, and having pulleys 9 and 13 seated therein. The hanger-chain 12 has its upper end secured to one of the lower corners of said frame. Another chain 10 is secured at one end to the bar 7 between the brackets 6 on the scoop or bucket 1 and is then passed over the pulley 13, and then connected to a ring 3 in the bail 2 of the scoop. One end of a third chain 39 is secured to the ring 3, then passed about the pulley 9, then connected to a ring 17 on the pull-cable 18, and a pair of chains 8 have adjacent ends connected to the ring 17 with their other ends secured to the rings 4 on opposite sides of the scoop. The cable 18 passes about a sheave 19 on the mast and is wound about the drum 20. The numeral 30 denotes a spaced parallel pair of inclined bars secured together by cross-pieces 36 and 38, and suspended at their upper ends on a loop 29 from a ring 27 on said mast at a considerable height. The upper edges of the bars 30 have metal teeth 21 secured thereon for a purpose to be described hereafter.

The numeral 31 denotes a pair of parallel spaced vertical legs or uprights having their upper ends pivoted to the outer ends of the bars 30 at 32, and said uprights are fiXedly connected by means of a cross-bar 37 and the crossed braces 33.

When in use, the bars 30 are suspended across and over some receptacle, such as the railway car 34, with their outer ends supported on the vertical legs 31, as a desired inclination outwardly from the mast. l/Vhen the bars are not in use, they may be swung out of the way to one side.

The dotted lines in said Fig. l show the scoop 1 at the bottom of an excavation ready Y to be drawn by the pull-cable 18 and winding-drum 20 in the proper direction to take up a load, the cable 16 having been slackened. Vhen the scoop is filled, the pullcable 22 is Wound up, elevating the scoop,

lll

and then the cable 1S is moved to draw the scoop over the receptacle 34. The scoop is held in its loading position normally, because of' the limiting action of the chain 1Q. connected between the rear parts of the cariage and scoop, and because the chain 10 is carried over the pulley 13 to the bail 2 in a way to support the scoop forward of its center of gravity relative to its receiving end. lll/Then the scoop has arrived over the receptacle` and over the detents 9.1 on the bars 30, the cable 16 is slackened to lower the scoop until the roller-carrying projections 7 4() engage detents on said bars. The cable 1S being tense, may be drawn forward still. more to draw the scoop along the bars to have the projections adjusted therealong. Then both cables 1G and 1S are slackened, which slaclfens the chains 19, l0, 39 and 8, the scoop becomes fulcrumed on the projections in the engaged teeth on said bars, and the bucket or scoop dumps into the receptacle. The empty scoop is now lifted up by tightening the cable 16, thus elevating it above the bars 30 to a position where it may be run back to the place for reloading.

Since the bars 30 are inclined, the projections 7 4() always engage the teeth il and keep in contact therewith when being adjustably moved therealong, without a tendency to slaeken the supports thereof' until ready to be dumped in the manner described. rihe scoop therefore is always under the control of the operator, and cannot be dumped except in t-he way and by the aid ot the means described.

Having described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. ln a dredging apparatus, a carryingcable adapted to be flexibly slackened and tautened, a carriage movable along said cable, a bucket, flexible suspension-means between said bucket and carriage adapted to hold the bucket in an untilted position, a flexible limiting spacing-connection between one end of said bucket and said carriage, flexible means for moving said carriage and bucket along said cable, and tripping-means located below said bucket and cable, said bucket having oppositely directed lateral projections adapted to engage said trippingineans pivotally when the cable is lowered, said bucket suspension-means slackening to shift the bucket to tilt the bucket to a dumping position between said tripping means.

2. ln a dredging apparatus, a carryingcable adapted to be flexibly slackened, a carriage movable along said cable, a bucket, ilexible suspension-means between said bucket and carriage adapted to hold the bucket in an untilted position when taut, means for moving said carriage along said cable, and tripping-means under said cable, comprising a pair of rigidly-connected inclined spaced bars, said bucket having fulcrum-pivots on one end thereof adapted to become seated pivotally upon said bars when the cable is slackened, and the suspensionmeans between the carriage and bucket slackened to cause the bucket to shift to dump the bucket.

3. In a dredging apparatus, a carryingcable adapted to be flexibly slackened, a carriage movable along said cable, a bucket, flexible suspension-means between said bucket and said carriage adapted to hold the bucket in an untilted position when taut only, means for moving said bucket and carriage along said cable, and tripping-means under said cable, comprising a pair of inclined "rigidly-coimected spaced bars having detente along their upper edges, said bucket having engaging means adapted when the cable is lowered, and said suspension-means slackcned to become fulcrumed upon said detents to shift and dump the bucket.

il. ln a dredging apparatus, a carryingcable adapted to be flexibly slackened, a carriage movable along said cable, a bucket, flexible suspension-means between said bucket and carriage adapted to normally retain the bucket in an untilted position, means for moving said carriage and bucket along said cable, and tripping-means below said cable, said bucket having lateral arms with anti-friction rollers rotatable thereon, said tripping-means comprising a pair of rigidly connected spaced bars in an inclined position and provided with detente along their upper edges, said bucket when lowered upon said bars with its projections engaged with any of and fulcrumed upon the detente, and the suspension-means being slackened, being adapted to tilt and dump its contents.

5. ln a dredging apparatus, a pair of tripping-bars, a mast, said tripping-bars boing suspended therefrom, supportingmembers movably connected to said bars adapted to hold them in spaced parallel inclined positions, and a transportable tiltable bucket h ving engaging-means adapted to pivotally engage said bars when the bucket is moved between them to overturn the bucket into a dumping position between the bars.

Signed at lVaterlco, Iowa, this 18th day of Feb. 1913.

JOHN lt. VGORHEES. lNitnesses:

W. H. BRUNN, Gno. C. KENNEDY.

Copies of 'this 'patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Uommssoner of latents,

Washngt on, D. C. 

